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laconni4's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
whytrytohide's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Two stars for the sex scenes, which are hot. Everything else about this book is a complete mess. I hate to be rude but so many things about this book bother me, and I regret seeing it to the end.
- Olivia repeatedly, knowingly, unabashedly hurts Celeste in an extremely creepy way, showing up in her life forcefully 3 separate times. The author gives her absolutely no out. There’s no good reason why she repeatedly hurts Celeste; she’s just selfish. That’s it.
- The characters act so illogically that it shatters my suspension of disbelief. Olivia is not shocked or traumatized after being shot and nearly killed. Celeste does not immediately inform the study people that someone is injured and needs medical care. This continues throughout the book. There is absolutely NO WAY Olivia’s parents would be okay with her meeting a partner in a study and I literally laughed out loud during that section. Most egregiously of all, after Olivia shows up yet again at the end of the book, Celeste tells her how much she was hurt and angry and can never trust her BUT THEN TAKES HER BACK ANYWAY FOR ZERO EXPLICABLE REASON other than so the characters can have sex again.
- The rules of the study make zero sense. Studying purely homosexuals means their study population is skewed. Sending a person into the compound to seduce the subject is so insanely unethical and doesn’t even make sense??? Studies are all about seeing how different people do the same thing. Olivia would have had to barge in on every participant. It’s already so far fetched of a fantasy that these details really take me out of the moment.
- The characters barely have personalities and they basically just act normal to each other. Their dialogue is soulless. I heard Olivia ask “are you okay?” so many freaking times. They don’t want anything aside from each other. Celeste is in it for money but it doesn’t even seem to drive her. The author never draws attention to it, never has Celeste fantasize about it or gives her a goal for it. Olivia doesn’t seem to care about the study or anything. Even her parents just accept anything she does which is completely laughable.
- The characters are never doing anything interesting. Every scene is, like, sitting on a couch, sitting by a fire, standing outside, sitting in an office, cooking, doing laundry, typing on an instant messaging app. The author has the characters play board games or drink wine or make coffee so many times like it’s the only thing she can think of to break up the scene. This is related to their motivations. They don’t want anything, so they don’t pursue anything.
- We are supposed to believe that this deep, passionate love forms in like 2 weeks. These characters know each other for two weeks, fall in love, one of them experiences extreme betrayal, but then that love carries the rest of the plot for more than a year? Absolutely no one would be okay with a person lying to them and manipulating them like Olivia did, but even worse is that they barely even know each other and after all this hurt decide to move in together?
That basically covers all the fundamentals of writing a novel. Save yourself the brain space because this damn thing is so mind bogglingly bad I had to write this just to get it all out. Trust me: there’s way better lesbian erotica/romance out there. I feel bad that Abby Craden had to read this.
soy_ahoy's review against another edition
4.0
I love the way Noyes writes adult romance, it's always so tangible and erotic. It's refreshing to see lesbian stories that don't shy away from the physical aspects of attraction and love. Taking a star off because Olivia's role honestly unsettled me a little bit and I could see the twist coming early in the book, which made me anxious about how it would all play out. I would still recommend the book and I'll be looking out for more novels by Noyes in the future.
naanie's review against another edition
5.0
Really, really liked this one. Really liked the premise, the story arc, the writing, the main character, her backstory, the whole thing. I thought the main character's inner monologue during the time she'd been isolated (hearing voices and reacting to them) was really accurate and well done. Being alone with your traumatic memories would be really difficult and I think the author captured that really well. I also liked the MC's reaction to learning about Olivia's role in the experiment; I would have felt the exact same way (betrayed) and it would have taken me a long time to get over, like it did with Celeste. That part (the reconciliation) didn't feel rushed to me at all. Five stars!
goddessofwhatnot's review against another edition
3.0
Five star premise ruined by deeply problematic relationship:(
aliu6's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
Celeste was supposed to spend 4 years in total isolation as part of a research experiment, but things don't go as planned when Olivia shows up on the edge of her property, gets injured (I won't spoil how this happens), and needs a place to heal.
This was a very interesting concept and allowed for some twists that you usually don't see in lesfic (I saw them coming, but they were still clever). Despite Celeste's initial coldness towards Olivia, she warms up quickly and their interactions are quite sweet. Then come some angsty bits and the experiment's end, and we get to see Celeste and Olivia interact in the real world.
The story kept me interested, and it was well written. I wish I had gotten to know the characters better though, especially Olivia. I feel like I liked the characters fine, but I didn't get the chance to love them, and that's what makes this a 4-star book for me.
Celeste was supposed to spend 4 years in total isolation as part of a research experiment, but things don't go as planned when Olivia shows up on the edge of her property, gets injured (I won't spoil how this happens), and needs a place to heal.
This was a very interesting concept and allowed for some twists that you usually don't see in lesfic (I saw them coming, but they were still clever). Despite Celeste's initial coldness towards Olivia, she warms up quickly and their interactions are quite sweet. Then come some angsty bits and the experiment's end, and we get to see Celeste and Olivia interact in the real world.
The story kept me interested, and it was well written. I wish I had gotten to know the characters better though, especially Olivia. I feel like I liked the characters fine, but I didn't get the chance to love them, and that's what makes this a 4-star book for me.
banrions's review against another edition
4.0
This, was a tour du force of a book. And I fucking loved it.
I love that I’m finally starting to click with EJ Noyes books, because the ones I’ve read before the last two I’ve only just liked, whereas most other people seem to adore, and I wondered if I was missing something or it we just personal taste stuff. But this was almost perfection and I’m thrilled about it.
I am a person who can (usually) absolutely be here for a slow paced book. I never felt like this dragged really (a tiny bit towards the end but dragged isn’t even the right word, there). This was a perfect example of when first person narration works in a “romance” (I only put the quotes because there is also so much more going on here). Usually, that’s not my preference, and I like getting povs for all the characters involved in the romance, but this is the absolute perfect example of when that’s not what I want. I clocked a lot about Olivia right when she first showed up, but I wasn’t 100% sure WHY and how until the blow up reveal and it was… so good. So painful. So perfect. I really liked both MCs, I would love like, a version of this book from Olivia’s pov though. I REALLY want to get into her head and see things from her side of things.
Abby Craden is perfection as always, I almost bumped it into a five just for her. Her voice for Olivia was so dreamy. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.
I love that I’m finally starting to click with EJ Noyes books, because the ones I’ve read before the last two I’ve only just liked, whereas most other people seem to adore, and I wondered if I was missing something or it we just personal taste stuff. But this was almost perfection and I’m thrilled about it.
I am a person who can (usually) absolutely be here for a slow paced book. I never felt like this dragged really (a tiny bit towards the end but dragged isn’t even the right word, there). This was a perfect example of when first person narration works in a “romance” (I only put the quotes because there is also so much more going on here). Usually, that’s not my preference, and I like getting povs for all the characters involved in the romance, but this is the absolute perfect example of when that’s not what I want. I clocked a lot about Olivia right when she first showed up, but I wasn’t 100% sure WHY and how until the blow up reveal and it was… so good. So painful. So perfect. I really liked both MCs, I would love like, a version of this book from Olivia’s pov though. I REALLY want to get into her head and see things from her side of things.
Abby Craden is perfection as always, I almost bumped it into a five just for her. Her voice for Olivia was so dreamy. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.
abs91jc's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
soniasideup's review against another edition
4.0
4.05⭐️
For the last few weeks I've slowly been working my way through all of E.J. Noyes's books. (side note: what is the book version of the word discography, it's obviously not bibliography right? Google is giving me "oeuvre" but that sounds French and pretentious so I will just be saying "all the books") I think when you read all the books by one author around the same time, there's a chance the characters will run together. It can start to feel like you're reading AU versions of the same two characters when an author struggles to find unique voices for their characters. This is not a problem E. J. Noyes has. Each time I am given unique perspectives and character dynamics and am left thinking about the story for days and sometimes weeks after.
I don't want to give too much away when talking about this book. All I can really say is it was heartbreaking. In fact, I fell so deep with the characters that I found it hard to let go of those feelings when I was finished reading. I definitely think you should read this if you're looking for something different but be prepared for some conflicting feelings throughout. I will say, if what happens to the characters in this book happened to me, I would not have had a happy ending. I think that it speaks even more to E. J. Noyes's writing style that I was able to buy into this story and the trajectory these characters took.
taylor swift song I'd put on this book's soundrack: my tears ricochet
For the last few weeks I've slowly been working my way through all of E.J. Noyes's books. (side note: what is the book version of the word discography, it's obviously not bibliography right? Google is giving me "oeuvre" but that sounds French and pretentious so I will just be saying "all the books") I think when you read all the books by one author around the same time, there's a chance the characters will run together. It can start to feel like you're reading AU versions of the same two characters when an author struggles to find unique voices for their characters. This is not a problem E. J. Noyes has. Each time I am given unique perspectives and character dynamics and am left thinking about the story for days and sometimes weeks after.
I don't want to give too much away when talking about this book. All I can really say is it was heartbreaking. In fact, I fell so deep with the characters that I found it hard to let go of those feelings when I was finished reading. I definitely think you should read this if you're looking for something different but be prepared for some conflicting feelings throughout. I will say, if what happens to the characters in this book happened to me, I would not have had a happy ending. I think that it speaks even more to E. J. Noyes's writing style that I was able to buy into this story and the trajectory these characters took.
taylor swift song I'd put on this book's soundrack: my tears ricochet
ohwhysosad's review against another edition
3.0
First off, let me say that I think this novel is well-crafted and well-written. I felt slightly on edge the whole time I was reading it, even though it was slow-paced. I just can't understand how people can call it a romance. I also can't comprehend how people can root for Celeste to end up with the "love interest."
However, if you set aside the genre classification, I can understand why it ended the way it did. Celeste is a broken woman who has found someone who can apparently give her what she's been craving for years (decades?). I see why, in the end, that would be more important to her than Olivia's betrayal. This does not diminish how messed up what Olivia did is. The ending is presented as a Happily Ever After, but it only left me feeling sad and angry for Celeste. She ends up with the person who manipulated her masterfully, without any consideration for ethics or even the consequences for Celeste's psychological well-being. Not to mention the simple lack of respect Olivia shows by showing up unannounced at Celeste's doorstep at the end.
Would I recommend this as a love story? Hell no. It felt more like a tragedy to me. Celeste deserved to move on from all the shit she'd been put through. And hiding Olivia's inappropriate behavior behind the contract Celeste signed was just plain wrong.
However, if you set aside the genre classification, I can understand why it ended the way it did. Celeste is a broken woman who has found someone who can apparently give her what she's been craving for years (decades?). I see why, in the end, that would be more important to her than Olivia's betrayal. This does not diminish how messed up what Olivia did is. The ending is presented as a Happily Ever After, but it only left me feeling sad and angry for Celeste. She ends up with the person who manipulated her masterfully, without any consideration for ethics or even the consequences for Celeste's psychological well-being. Not to mention the simple lack of respect Olivia shows by showing up unannounced at Celeste's doorstep at the end.
Would I recommend this as a love story? Hell no. It felt more like a tragedy to me. Celeste deserved to move on from all the shit she'd been put through. And hiding Olivia's inappropriate behavior behind the contract Celeste signed was just plain wrong.